


A Midnight Chat

by AMidnightDreary



Series: The Witness [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Mind Reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 00:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13693296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: Rumplestiltskin tries to get used to the fact that Belle can read his mind when suddenly there's a knock at his door.





	A Midnight Chat

**Author's Note:**

> So, that's the first sequel to "The Witness", which should be read before this.  
> Also Rumple is in love and a little bit dorky, but bless him, he's trying his best.

He couldn't sleep. He hadn't really expected to be able to, but it still was a disappointment. Usually he would just get up again to work on some spells or deals or to spin if he was completely restless. But today wasn't an usual day.

Today was the most unusual day he had had in _years_. And Rumplestiltskin basically lived the unusual.

Working or spinning wouldn't help. Because even then he wouldn't stop thinking. And the fact that he was thinking was his problem in the moment. And so he was just staring at the ceiling, on the edge of going insane and wondering how the hell _this_ had happened.

He didn't even know why he had even tried to go to sleep. But wait, he did – because Belle had asked him to try. Apparently she had witnessed more of his nightmare from the night before than he had feared. She hadn't directly said something about that (and, really, he was thankful for that), but it had been clear that she was worried.

_Worried._

About him.

And of course he couldn't deny her anything. Not now, not on this day that had turned from the most terrifying to the most wonderful. She had said he should at least try to get some sleep and she had smiled that sweet smile of hers and he had still been in a daze. Maybe that was what he should cling to, his dazedness. When he himself didn't even know what was going on in his head anymore, it surely was hard for Belle to read his mind.

Gods, she could read his mind.

Rumplestiltskin couldn't even count the reasons why that was very, very disturbing. When he had held her hand it had been a whole lot simpler to like it. And he really had liked it then. He couldn't recall any other moment he had felt that – well. Who knew how he had felt. At ease, maybe. Safe, for sure. There hadn't been a place in his mind for doubt anymore, because Belle had been everything he had still seen and heard. Just Belle, and maybe the echo of his own thoughts in her mind.

But now, with Belle in a room basically on the other end of the castle, doubt was everything he had. He was good in doubting. Doubting things was safe.

And so _damn_ annoying.

He knew what she felt for him. He had felt her feelings himself, and it would take eternities to wrap his head around that alone. Why did he always have to doubt everything? He didn't think anybody could fake what they had shared in the library. Belle wouldn't. She had become the person he trusted most in this world, probably the only person he trusted at all, in, what had it been, ten minutes? He had seen into her mind, and there wasn't any way he could still mistrust her. Belle was good and kind down to the tiniest fibre of her soul. And he was him. If he couldn't doubt her sincerity, he _would_ doubt her taste in men. He wasn't the right one for her, didn't deserve anything she wanted to give him. But he still wanted to have her.

She had kissed his cheek when they had said goodnight. Rumplestiltskin's heart still fluttered just thinking about how her lips had felt on his skin. He had been drowning in her wonderful mind again for a few blissful seconds, and since then he knew that Belle had wanted to stay with him. She would have accepted an invitation to his chambers gladly, just to sleep next to him. And Rumplestiltskin had been _horrified_. He just hadn't been able to do that, not for the life of him.

Because he really shouldn't think about what they could do instead of sleeping. He really shouldn't.

It wasn't that he wanted to, after all. Well, of course he wanted to, he had wanted to since the moment he had seen her for the first time. He just had to think of her eyes and lips and -

No. He really shouldn't think about that.

He should think about how he would never pressure her instead. He wouldn't ever do anything she didn't want ( _please know that_ ). She just had to tell him what she wanted and what not, because he had not the slightest idea how to do this.

They hadn't really talked much before they had gone to bed. The only things they had said were that they probably had to get used to this (whatever it was) and that they had time and that he should try to get some sleep. Belle had said those things, at least. Rumplestiltskin hadn't said very much. But it was likely that that hadn't been necessary at all, since she could read his thoughts and everything.

He was going to loose his mind.

Rumplestiltskin sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. He didn't know if Belle was still awake. If she was, she was probably listening to the nonsense going on in his head. Which was wonderful, really.

Perhaps he should have asked her to stay with him. Maybe she would have let him hold her hand again. He was sure that that would make sleeping much easier. Or impossible. Either way, the thought of having her in his room, sleeping peacefully at his side, would be a dream come true. And maybe that would happen, some day. Actually he shouldn't even dare to think that.

He lowered his hands again and stared into the darkness of his room. He hadn't been that agitated since ages. His behaviour was childish and he knew it, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Still, the Dark One shouldn't act like a lovesick idiot. Belle probably thought he was being ridiculous. Maybe there was a potion he could take? Something that put him to sleep and stop his thoughts? He could -

Somebody knocked on his door.

Well, not somebody. Belle.

Rumplestiltskin played with the idea to pretend that he was sleeping, only to realize that pretending anything wouldn't work with Belle. Apparently, his heart had chosen to jump out of its cage, its frantic beating echoing in his ears. It really looked like his maid was going to be the death of him.

Gods, he had been sitting on his bed for _seconds_ while she was right outside his room. Trying to get his bloody senses together, he forced himself to get up. At least he had the brains to dress himself properly with a swift wave of his hand before he opened the door.

Belle practically beamed at him, even if her smile was somewhat tentative. Her hair was done in a loose braid, and she was wearing a simple nightgown and nothing on her feet. If he concentrated he could see goosebumps on her arms which were left bare by her gown.

“Hello”, she greeted him, shifting weight on her feet. “You, uh, called. Kind of.”

Rumplestiltskin blinked at her, trying to form proper words in his head. “I did?”

Belle nodded and hummed affirmatively.

“I'm – I mean, I apologize if I kept you up”, he said. At least he didn't stutter too badly.

“You do that quite often”, Belle remarked. He couldn't say if his face had shown his dismay or if she had picked it up with her powers, but her eyes widened. “No, I – It's alright. I don't mind. I just -”

She stopped and sighed after a moment. Rumplestiltskin waited, unsure what he should do. Invite her in? Send her away again? Have a nice midnight chat in his doorway?

“I couldn't sleep either”, Belle said. “I thought we could... ah. I don't even know. Can I come in?”

Rumplestiltskin felt himself nod, and then he had stepped aside already to let her in. He slowly closed the door behind her, taking care not to look at her directly.

“Gods, it's freezing in here”, Belle exclaimed softly. “Aren't you cold?”

“No”, he said, but waved his hand to light a fire in the small fire place. “I don't really have big problems with temperatures.”

“How comes that?”, Belle asked, curious as always.

“Magic, dearie.”

“Oh, right. Of course.”

He wasn't sure if he just imagined the teasing tone in her voice. For a moment they just stood there, until he waved his hand again, this time to make an welcoming gesture. “Sit down if you want to.”

Belle nodded and suddenly she was sitting on the edge of his bed, which was so high that her feet were dangling in the air. She really was a tiny thing, his Belle, and he couldn't get enough of looking at her.

She was smiling knowingly right now, and he thought that he _really_ needed to control his thoughts.

“There was no need to change for me”, she broke the silence eventually, glancing at his clothes.

“Ah, I take it that you're still after seeing me in my night clothes”, Rumplestiltskin said with a smirk.

Belle giggled and nodded. “Indeed I am.”

“Again, I am very sorry to disappoint.”

“You're forgiven”, she granted cheerfully before tapping her hand on the free space next to her. “Come here?”

He really couldn't deny her anything. But his smirk was gone when he sat down next to her, and he still didn't dare to meet her eyes.

“Am I allowed to comment your presence?”, she asked, sounding as if she was wondering out loud.

Rumplestiltskin frowned and looked at her briefly. His eyes were ever so kind. “Depends.”

“On what?”

“What you want to comment.”

“Mhh”, it came from Belle. “Your thoughts about your behaviour.”

He hesitated, staring at the floor. “I am not sure if I want to hear that”, he said eventually.

“Just one thing?”

He sighed, but couldn't help the smirk returning. “Alright.”

“It's cute”, she announced. “And I think I'm acting very much the same way.”

Rumplestiltskin had no idea what to make out of that, so he darted a piercing glance at her. “That were two things.”

“I'm sure you can stand that.”

“I'm objecting, though.”

Belle nodded. “The Dark One is not cute. I got that already.”

He tried to be annoyed. He really did. But instead her teasing smile and the playful glint in her eyes just made him laugh. She chimed in with another giggle, and Rumplestiltskin slowly felt the awkwardness dropping off. It didn't feel that different than their usual banterings, after all. And he had always loved those, from the very beginning, even if he wouldn't easily admit that.

“Are you alright?”, Belle asked softly. She still sounded worried.

“Yes”, he replied, giving his best to hold his voice steady. “Yes, I think I am.”

“I suppose it's normal to be baffled”, Belle considered out loud.

_Baffled_ didn't even cover it. It was too less of a word to describe what he was feeling, but he couldn't think of a more accurate description either. In fact, he couldn't even say what he was feeling at all. There might have been happiness. A fair amount of happiness. That was something he wasn't used to – he had never really had a chance to get used to happiness, after all – and his curse didn't really like that feeling. It liked to have him desperate and longing for things he couldn't have, because then he was most likely to obey. Happiness, though... He briefly wondered if there had ever been a _happy_ Dark One. This was a premiere, probably.

He should try to hold on to it. He would try. But Rumplestiltskin knew that things like this, good things, didn't stay. Not with him, anyway. Maybe he could just try to enjoy what he was granted as long as it lasted.

“I'm not going anywhere, you know”, Belle said softly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He looked up and met her eyes before he could prevent it. They returned his gaze warmly, maybe lovingly, and she smiled as well, though it looked slightly sad. He should have told her probably that it didn't mattered if she wanted to stay. He just had a habit of driving away the people he loved, and even Belle couldn't change that. But he didn't have the heart to say anything like this right now. Even though she knew anyway, of course. And he _would_ try. He would give everything he had.

“Good”, was everything he said.

“I mean it. I won't leave you. Unless you want me to.”

Rumplestiltskin frowned and shook his head. “I don't want that.”

“Then stop worrying about it.”

He snorted at the simplicity of her words. “That isn't really under my control, dearie.”

“I know”, Belle said. “I just try to...”

Her voice trailed off, and he didn't probe into it. “Do _you_ worry?”, he asked instead.

It took her a moment to answer. “This is new for me, too”, she said then, followed by a little laugh. “And I have no real idea what I'm doing, so, yes, I worry a bit as well. But I think we're going to be fine.”

“In time”, he added, thoughtful.

“Mhhm.”

Time. Yes, they had time. Hopefully. He didn't really know what to do with that time, though. What did she want him to do? He couldn't treat her like a maid anymore, that much was certain. Maybe she had some sort of expectation of how it was like to live as his... companion. If she wanted to be something of that kind at all. He had the impression that she did, but couldn't say what that meant for them in detail.

Belle stopped his thoughts. This time not by saying anything, but by resting her head on his shoulder. He caught his breath, his eyes widening and his body tensing. She had tucked her arm into his and almost _snuggled_ up against him. Some of her curls were tickling his skin where they touched his neck and jaw. He waited for that particular connection to build, but nothing happened.

“Alright?”, Belle asked, barely audible.

“Yes”, he breathed in response even before his head had given permission to form any words at all. “But why aren't we...”

“No direct skin contact”, she mumbled into the collar of his shirt.

Ah. Her hair on his skin wasn't enough, probably. Unfortunately.

“You want to?”

“I -”, he stammered, but broke off. He blinked, trying to pull himself together. “Do you?”

“I'd love to.”

She offered him her free hand, and he didn't need any more reassurance than that. When their fingers intertwined again Rumplestiltskin's eyes fluttered shut. It was terrifying, dazzling and _heavenly_ how Belle was able to put him at ease within a split second. This wasn't like anything he had ever experienced before, and now that he was holding her hand again he knew that he was lost, destined to crave this, her touch and everything it caused, for the rest of his life.

It took him a moment to get adjusted. But the same went for Belle, and that the fact that she was just as stunned as he was helped him to settle down. When the first wave of shock was gone, he was able to concentrate on other things. It seemed to him that it was someway somewhat easier this time. In the library, he had felt completely disoriented for a rather long time, too overwhelmed by how detailed and profoundly he could fathom what she was thinking and feeling. Now, that time of disorientation didn't last half as long as it had the first time. Belle was still faster, though, and had already recovered when he finally could breath again.

She enjoyed being close to him. That was the first thing to really reach him. She liked his warmth and the way her head seemed to fit just perfectly in the crook of his neck. She even liked that he had been so startled, yet she hoped that there would be no need to be startled anymore sometime in the near future. She wasn't rather fond of his belief that no one could ever want to touch him, it seemed. She planned to change his mind and, gods, he was up for it. He didn't even care that she knew how starved for affection he was.

Rumplestiltskin could feel that she already was as addicted to this as he was. He had no idea how he did it, but his presence comforted her indeed, in a way that nothing had ever managed. He was glad that he couldn't control this at all, because otherwise he surely would ruin it. Like this, it was the most natural thing. A perfect match.

He hadn't really planned to cry. Gods, he hadn't cried in ages. But now he just couldn't help it, and he had very little time to be afraid. Belle didn't mind, in fact she might have cried a little as well. She reacted with a wave of mere fondness and mild distress – she really didn't want him to hurt – and he knew that it was alright.

Everything was so much simpler like this.

Rumplestiltskin raised her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles, and it _pleased_ her. She even planted a kiss at his jaw in return. She liked the feeling of his lips against her skin and of _his_ skin against _her_ lips. He was too dazed to deal with that knowledge right now, so he stored it away for later.

They sat there like this for what must have been a little eternity. For the first time in centuries Rumplestiltskin remembered what peace felt like, and he could have died gladly right now and then. But after some time Belle's presence got muffled and a bit dizzy, the fragments of her thoughts not making sense anymore. He was scared for a moment, grasped her hand tighter and peered down to look at her face. As he saw that her eyes were closed and he felt how slow and steady she was breathing, he realized what had happened.

Belle was sleeping.

She had fallen asleep sitting, nestled up to him, because she had been so tired. He should have had noticed her exhaustion – she had slept very little the night before, and it was past midnight now as well. Of course she needed to sleep.

He didn't know what to do for a few minutes. Then he let go of her hand, mourning the loss of their connection the moment it disappeared, and took her in his arms to lay her properly on his bed. Belle stirred a little as he tucked her in with gentle and careful hands, but only when he stood up again he realized that she was awake, even if just a little bit.

“Don't you dare leave the room”, it came from her, her voice so sleepy that he almost didn't hear.

Rumplestiltskin looked down at her, and her blue eyes glanced up on him, sulky and beautiful even when she was half asleep.

“I won't”, he promised, but she wouldn't close her eyes again until he had crawled into the bed as well to lie down next to her.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear what you think! ^.^


End file.
